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4w ago

Delta Puts $200 Million Price Tag on 43-Day U.S. Government Shutdown

Delta says travel demand has recovered into 2026 after a brief shutdown slump.

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An American Airlines flight lands as a Delta Air Lines plane taxis at LaGuardia Airport (LGA) in the Queens borough of New York, Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)
A Delta Airlines flight takes off from Logan International Airport, as airlines cancelled flights at 40 major airports after the government imposed an unprecedented cut to air travel, citing air traffic control safety concerns because of a record-setting government shutdown, in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., November 7, 2025. REUTERS/Brian Snyder/ File Photo

Overview

  • Delta disclosed a pretax fourth-quarter hit of about $200 million, or roughly $0.25 per share, becoming the first U.S. carrier to quantify the shutdown’s impact.
  • CEO Ed Bastian said refunds rose sharply as customers delayed purchases during the 43-day lapse, pressuring near-term results.
  • The company reports booking growth has returned to plan and says demand looks strong into 2026.
  • FAA safety caps forced up to a 6% reduction in domestic schedules from Nov. 7–16, cutting more than 10,000 flights nationwide, including over 2,000 at Delta.
  • Controller shortages deepened as staff worked without pay and missed two checks, and the FAA’s decision to award bonuses only to 776 perfect-attendance employees drew objections from Sen. Tammy Duckworth.